ONE of former president Michael Sata’s children, Mwelwa Sata has finally opened-up about the family’s economic status after the demise of their father.
According to the News Diggers newspaper, Mwelwa gives this interesting account, “while we have heard and read stories about how some presidents’ children were gifted filling stations, apartments, luxury vehicles and more, we don’t swim in money.”
Well, well, well…..where does this leave ba Lungu and his family?
Like other Presidents gone before him – Kenneth D. Kaunda, Frederick Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa and to a certain extent, Rupiah “King Cobra,” as he was fondly referred to, never seemed to have ‘looted’ our resources for the sole benefit of his family!
Sata was a no nonsense leader who never entertained his children anywhere near the treasury. Economic Front strong man, Wynter Kabimba actually puts it in a better way. In a recent interview, he explains that when Sata caught wind of his eldest son, Mulenga, engaging in questionable business activities with the Chinese, he solicited his help to warn his son to be careful with the Chinese “to avoid being a fugitive like Hanry Banda,” (son of former President Banda). Apparently, Henry went into self-imposed exile after the PF wrestled power from the MMD for fear of going to jail on account of being involved in dubious and illicit deals when the father was in charge.
Like Sata, most of our former presidents, who’ve since transitioned to the land of the dead, never bequeathed questionable wealth to their spouses or children. They’re now eking a living either working in the private sector or indeed public service. If we may cite a few examples, Panji Kaunda is High Commissioner to Malawi while his sibling Cheswa, is a protocol officer in government. Chipo Mwanawasa is equally one of the presidential aides while Stella Sata recently landed herself a lucrative job in Canada. Others such as Mulenga Sata are said to have ventured into business…….whether it’s breeding and selling puppies is a matter of speculation; at least they’re earning a living in a decent manner.
All in all, most of former first children are struggling to make ends meet just like the rest of us save for the Lungus! Going by all these reports we are reading about regarding array of properties being confiscated from his wife, children and close associates by the state……ba Lungu definitely deserves to have his immunity stripped off, pronto! It seems immediately ba Lungu set foot in State House, he went on rampage plundering our resources like a monkey in a maize field. He would of course ‘gift’ some of this abundant wealth to his wife and children – filling stations, impressive fleets of vehicles, breath-taking mansions in exclusive neighborhoods, mukula business and enormous amounts of money like Santa Claus handing out sweets and cookies to children!
For most of our citizens unfortunately…..especially ba 1.8 million, the perceived ‘criminalities’ on the part of ba Lungu is inconsequential to them! They’d rather keep on shamelessly glorifying him to the grave……. to such an extent of even fantasizing ati “Alebwelelapo!”
Is celebrating suspected criminals restricted to politics?
Negative! During the tenure of PF for instance, the so-called Jerabos were the ‘darlings’ of some people despite their heinous activities – violently hounding-out civil servants from offices, taking over the running of markets and bus stations, assaulting or killing perceived political opponents and literally ransacking the treasury through some bogus contracts and business transactions!
Why should our citizens keep celebrating and glorifying criminality? Is it a case of choosing Barabbas over our Saviour?
Until next time…..
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Social/Political Analyst
King Cobra: was the father of Sontapo. Nowadays we dont see anyone embarking on a project they can sontapo. you only hear of handouts called CDF that MPs celebrate but not their conctituents
Just wonder why Sata’s creation turned out to be so bad. I suppose the party’s constitution was founded on unprecedented lacunae! Even in family circles, when children turn out bad the father is often blamed and deemed a failure.
Which family? Show me one
Bowman Lusambo says it with jaw-dropping candour: when leaders steal, they do it so that they can become rich. Just the cost of his wife’s perfume could pay rentals of some people. What did Edgar Lungu do or say to his then minister when he heard him boast like that? What did Inonge Wina do or say when she heard these words? What about Nkandu Luo? I suppose Edgar Lungu is popular in the PF because he allowed everyone else to help themselves to state property so long they left something behind.
Uubomba mwiibalaaaa, alya mwiibalaaaa… Prison awaits. This is not HH’s vengence. This is me, an ordinary citizen, demanding that the law takes its full course plus mbasela!
Very misunderstood Bemba saying. Any rational person will know that: You eat from the field you work on but you dont feed all others from that farm!
Its because you work from there that you should not have to leave the farm to look for food. Where I live all modern day Western businesses like MacDonald’s, KFC, Nandos Burger King, etc have adopted that philosophy. They allow free meals for staff.
@Moon2 the misunderstanding is Deliberate. So as to justify the accusation that Bembas are thieves. No tribe or race is evil unless the fingerpointer is a racist or tribalist.
I still blame Sata for the mess we call Edgar Lungu. I blame Frederick Chiluba for blocking Guy Scott from becoming republican president which resulted in the mess we call Edgar Lungu which resulted in Hakainde Hichilema which has resulted in the mess we’re in now.
Deja Vu! Are serious. Pls read what you wrote again. Guy Scott? You mean Michael Sata or someone else?
Jackson read my post again to understand.
Guy Scott could have become president if Kafupi in his quest to bar Dr Kaunda introduced a segregative clause which automatically included Dr Scott.
The bottom line is all persons who develop sticky fingers deserve to sit in state provided accomodation to reflect on their actions and indeed all the properties seized and converted to god use or if sold off the proceeds used for development issues. During their stay in prison lets ensure they are seen in communities cleaning up places like public toilets, markets, schools and hospitals to give back what they took out and remember hard work.
Zambians are to blame. They have no standards when it comes to choosing leaders. The most important thing for them is where one comes from. That is why we we need to decentralize. Even before some leaders came to power, they had cases of theft and were fired from institutions they worked for. So how do you expect such leaders to work diligently when they are put in charge.
Exactly……….
Not true. Show me one apart from our current president who received his majority from his province
The Patriotic Front constitution was copy and paste of UNIP constitution. The result is that the PF centred on one strongman, Sata just like UNIP’s KK. Zambian politicians have always lacked the sense of duty to the people over person. Look at ALL political parties today. They are synonymous with the founder. No one in the party can challenge the founder for leadership. The leader dies, so does the party.
Lungu need to be investigated over his false identity an need to immediately be deported to his country called Malawi. Those fellow thieves can accompany him.
Wamene iwe Mwale you are from Malawi. So go back to your home!
Some people are very confused. Just because they can not steal now. So therefore, the Government is bad!
When Lungu came into picture, he brought his own people into the rulership inner circle. This excluded people like Sata’s family. No wonder they are gloating today. Kaseba recently gave an explicit comment about PF and it mustn’t surprise anyone the children follow suit.
Corrections: Zambians don’t feel pleasure in illegalities, they question why the law only targets opposition leaders. We never glorify criminality.
An interesting and well researched article!
I love you all my Zambian friends, the problem we have in this country most of you have highlighted them, yes we love criminals because we dont apply critical thinking when choosing them. ECL was a bad leader and he was surrounded by bad people. This man is no leader he just saw an opportunity, sata left him incharge because he was not a threat to him…Sata didnt know he was going to die, but when the cobra died we voted for ECL and he messed up big time. i know we are in a bad situation economically but we still have opportunities in this country that is why foreigners i dying to come here. Lets work hard, invest more and drink less i guarantee you things will change.
Jackson read my post again to understand.
Guy Scott could have become president if Kafupi in his quest to bar Dr Kaunda introduced a segregative clause which automatically included Dr Scott.